Israelis seeking grandchildren from their dead sons’ sperm

Avi Harush’s voice trembles as he recalls the moment he learned his 20-year-old son, Reef, had been killed in combat on April 6 in the Gaza Strip.

The military officers who came to his door also presented him with a decision. There was still time to retrieve Reef’s sperm – was the family interested?

Avi’s answer was immediate. Reef “lived life to its fullest”, he says. “Despite the horrible loss, we choose to live.”

“Reef loved children and wanted kids of his own – there’s no question about it,” he adds.

Reef had no wife or…